Dwight Yoakam Albums Ranked

Dwight David Yoakam (born October 23, 1956) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, and film director. He first achieved mainstream attention in 1986 with the release of his debut album Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc.. Yoakam had considerable success throughout the late 1980s onward, with a total of ten studio albums for Reprise. Later projects have been released on Audium Music (now MNRK Music Group), New West, Warner, and Sugar Hill Records. Yoakam’s musical style draws from a wide variety of influences, including neotraditional country, honky-tonk, Bakersfield sound, bluegrass music, and country rock. He is known for his distinctive tenor singing voice, unconventional musical image, and the lead guitar work of his longtime producer and bandleader Pete Anderson. Yoakam writes most of his own songs while also holding a large number of successes with cover songs. Artists whom he has covered include Johnny Horton, Elvis Presley, The Blasters, Lefty Frizzell, and Queen. He has collaborated with John Mellencamp, k.d. lang, Ralph Stanley, and members of Alison Krauss & Union Station. Here are all of Dwight Yoakam albums ranked.

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10. Second Hand Heart 

“Dwight’s latest album, heavy on traditional country and rockabilly flavors, even some 60s jingle jangle in there if you listen closely. I’ve heard some folks complain about the production on this album, i.e. too compressed. I would prefer a little more spaciousness and breathing room, but it’s not bad at all. Although I wouldn’t say it’s his best album, it’s very good.”

9. Gone 

“Equally impressive is Yoakam’s determination to push the boundaries while remaining true to the roots of the honky tonk sound. Not afraid to mix it up musically and stylistically, Gone flourishes through its refusal to stay still. Throwing in a little boogie-woogie, a touch of fifties rock and roll, and a dab of pure pop may not feel adventurous, but doing it without losing grip on the fundamental character of your core inspiration is a neat trick.”

8. Dwight Sings Buck 

“Dwight Yoakam sings the songs that created his sound and writing style. The music that made him become a musician, how could it be anything but fantastic? Well he doesn’t disappoint with his tribute to the man who most influenced his career. The album is filled with Dwight’s best performances in years. He sounds focused and absolutely ecstatic as he sings these songs. The emotions he exudes are hard to miss.”

7. If There Was A Way 

“The theme on _If There Was a Way_ is not upbeat. In fact, so many songs deal with heartbreak and loneliness that it plays like a concept album, with Yoakam telling the story of a man in a broken relationship who begins an odyssey in search of love. One-sided though it may be, it expresses how much hurt is involved when a man cannot let go and move on with his life.”

6. 3 Pears 

“If you’re a fan of straight ahead country music, especially of todays ilk, then 3 Pears will probably not be for you. But if you’re willing to look a bit deeper, and hear the ringing jangling pop songs co-produced by Beck, or consider that the album title and song was taken from the documentary on George Harrison, Living In The Material World, where you’ll see John Lennon fooling around with three pairs of glasses, or that Yoakam has always shrugged off his country market category, delivering honky tonk mixed with Nirvana inspired deliveries, and pop songs that will ring in your head … then this outing may just be for you. “

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5. Hillbilly Deluxe 

“Dwight is one of my favourite country artists, by some distance i should add but i wouldnt say this was one of his best albums. Its decent Honky Tonk but i feel it lacks the substance of later albums such as Buenos Noches. This album is moer Dwight wearing his influences on his sleeve and opposed to assimilating them into his own style. That would come later and he would be all the better for it.”

4. A Long Way Home 

“A temporary return to his more honky-tonk roots, shying away briefly from the experimentalism of Gone, this one lacks some of the bigger surefire hits of his earlier work, but yet I still like it. Things Change is among my favorite Yoakam tunes, and the hardcore honky-tonk of These Arms and I Wouldn’t Put It Past Me recall vintage Buck Owens, as most Dwight does… Same Fool is killer, too, but by this point, Dwight’s popularity was waning and he was beginning to make more of a name for himself on the screen than on the record charts…”

3. Buenas Noches From A Lonely Room 

“So you want to cry into your beer or maybe drink yourself into a stupor on cheap whiskey and/or tequila? Well you’ve picked the right soundtrack to your night’s activities here. Dwight Yoakam is a great songwriter and performer, there’s not really a weak track on here, and the addition of Flaco Jimenez on the accordion gives a nice sense of what Bakersfield (and the Central Valley in general) actually sounds like.”

2. This Time 

“This Time is an apposite title for an album which sees Dwight Yoakam’s vision finally come together. Up to this point Yoakam has been content to take small incremental steps, carefully renovating honky tonk and the Bakersfield sound for a modern day audience. While stylistically similar to previous album If There Was A Way, This Time is more of a personal statement with Yoakam having a hand in the writing of all but one of the eleven tracks. Even the odd one out, “Ain’t That Lonely Yet”, was written specifically for this album by James House and regular collaborator Kostas Lazarides.”

1. Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. 

“This is one of those American albums where at least half of the songs would be good enough to use in a soundtrack to a memorable road movie. There are a few faithful yet updated cover songs here, but most of the original tracks likewise combine the traditional and the modern nicely. “Bury Me” really stands out – not just because of the duet, but also as an example of how the upbeat can be combined with the down and out perfectly.”